#vash: Maybe :) (lying)

[vash-in-the-void]

Sketches I did like half a year ago when i got consumed by this silly fic ((Tri)Gun on ao3) where trimax and ‘98 Vashes get reincarnated as teenage Stampede Vash’s headmates (I swear it makes sense, although reincarnated is probably not the right word, idc important thing is, they all share a body and the older Vashes will protect but also bully their younger self the best they can)

The first picture is a scene directly from the fic - i had a lot of fun with the body language - showing ways in which theyre the same but also different

The rest is just chaos

Colorcoding guide: gray is trimax!vash, red is 98!vash, green is stamp!vash, blue is nai

[orcelito]

oh transcripts time

[ruporas]

post-trimax vash meets stampede wolfwood

[ID: Black and white comic of Vash and Wolfwood of their Stampede versions. The comic starts with Wolfwood continuing off a conversation, saying “I didn’t mean t’say anythin’ bad to her. She just took it the wrong way. But anyway...” Wolfwood speaks with a hand gestured flippantly while Vash, who’s seated next to him, just listens. Vash thinks to himself, “Talks more about himself... Honest expressions... Immature, though he was pretty immature too.” He smiles and continues to think, “And yet...”

A panel of Vash’s eye directed now to the sky. He thinks, “Some things are bound to be the same with us...” He thinks of a memory, the version from Maximum of him and Wolfwood, back shown as they chatted underneath two moons, one moon with a hole through it. Vash continues, “Isn’t that right, W-“ His thoughts are interrupted by Wolfwood coming into a view, a close up his deadpan expression. Vash utters out “-olfwood..?” with a nervous expression. He starts to explain, “Um. Sorry if it seemed like I wasn’t listening, I was! So, let’s keep talking?”

Vash smiles and puts his hands together as he says, “okay?” Wolfwood glares at him with gritted teeth and Vash immediately remembers, “Right, he’s more short-tempered...” He continues to think, “Maybe Plan B works with him—“ before he’s grabbed by his coat collar aggressively and changes thoughts, “OK, never mind, brace for impact..!” But he’s surprised when he’s tugged instead, him and Wolfwood flops against the ground. Wolfwood puts an arm over Vash and says, “I don’t need to be entertained, blondie. If yer tired, we can go to sleep.”

Two close up panels of Wolfwood and Vash’s eyes looking at each other, Wolfwood taking off Vash’s glasses as he says, “Am I wrong?” Vash thinks to himself, “Actually... I was being genuine when I said I wanted to keep talking. I don’t feel tired at all. But, I think you know this body more than I do.”

Vash’s thoughts continue, “I can’t deny the me you’re fond of from being taken care of. And I could never deny your kindness. Even though...” Vash finally smiles and says, “You’re not wrong...” Wolfwood smiles back before tugging Vash closer and says, “Then, let’s sleep.” Vash asks, “Should we get a blanket?” Wolfwood asks, “Why?” before kissing Vash on the cheek, “I’ll keep you warm.” Vash puts his face into both his hands and flushes. Wolfwood smiles cheekily and asks, “What?” Vash responds, “I was caught off guard..” Wolfwood says, “You’ve said worse though.” Vash responds, “Did I...” The panel phases out and the dialogue returns to Vash’s thoughts. He thinks, “I want to stay a bit longer. Talk a bit longer.

You’re tired here too. The future is always going to be unfair to you. I want to protect you from it. I want to hold you close so you won’t go far.” The thoughts overlap the scene of Wolfwood now sleeping peacefully against Vash with an arm over him, Vash’s jacket draped against him as a blanket. Vash looks at him and a small thought bubble thinks, “He can fall asleep first...” His previous thoughts continue, “I know I can’t. I already had that chance.” A close up of Vash putting his hand over Wolfwood’s. He continues, “I wasn’t capable once, I can’t be sure I’d be capable a second time. And in a way...”

Vash’s thoughts continue with the back drop of the sky, Stampede’s sky of two moons without holes, “Some things are bound to be the same. But I know you’ll be loved again and again in a way I’d never know.” A split panel, one half contains the sleeping face of Wolfwood from Stampede, the other of Wolfwood from Trimax. In turn, the Vash lying down looking fondly at Wolfwood shifts to the post Trimax Vash while the other versions, Stampede and earlier Trimax, are faintly drawn next to him doing the same. Vash closes his eyes and finally drifts to sleep as the final text reads, “Goodnight, Wolfwood.”

[novasintheroom]

Silver or gold?

♡ Pairing - Vash x Reader

♡ Word count - 1k

♡ Warnings - none

♡ Description: Vash has something important on his mind. You intend to find out what.

Now part of the 150 Bullets drabble series on AO3

It would look nice in gold. Or maybe silver. With a little ruby in the middle, right there.

Vash taps your ring finger. Yes, right there would be nice.

Firelight crackles nearby, and you and Vash are lying down on your sleeping bags for the night. The small cave you’d found shields you from the whipping, sandy winds rising outside. You had long ago scooted over to lay yourself on top of him. Like his own personal blanket, he often jokes. He loves it though. Loves you. And the day’s events got him thinking…well…

It couldn’t be anything fancy. He can barely afford food on the best days. But if it had a little something…

He rubs your finger again.

You shift slightly. “That finger botherin’ you or somethin’?”

Caught, he flinches and lets go of your hand. But you hold on, intertwining fingers together. Your head scooches to rest on his chest more, and he can feel your lips move against his shirt. “You’ve been quiet tonight. What’re you thinking about, birdie?”

Your voice is heavy with fatigue. It’s been a long day, and he feels bad about waking you in any way. “Nothing. You know I overthink stuff.”

Your laugh is quiet, and it’s the best sound. “Sure. But you’re thinking about something real hard tonight. What is it?”

Vash feels his heart pick up, his stomach tickle, just at the thought. And you’re already up, looking at him now with those eyes that sparkle in the firelight. Your smile is faint – you’re still tired, but ready for him. So, with a held breath, he asks, “Did you see that old couple? In the town today, they walked together from store to store.”

You shifted to rest your chin on his chest now. “Um…what did they look like? There were a lot of people.”

They were old, frail. Their feet shuffled like they meant to collect all the dirt they could on their shoes. The man was hunched, but bowed all the lower every time he opened a door for his wife. The woman always laughed and patted his shoulder. And the man would pout, making his wife roll her eyes and go in for a peck on the lips or cheek. “They wore matching ponchos, too.” He added.

Your head rolls to the side, a mischievous glint in your eye. “Are you saying you want us to wear matching ponchos?”

He blows a laugh out his nose, his thumb rubbing the bit of skin exposed on your hip. “Only if we get them in red.”

“Mmph. Should’ve known.”

He goes quiet again, looking down at your held hands. There they were – the nerves closing his throat.

You squeeze his hand to get his attention. “What about them has you thinking so hard?”

Everything. Thinking about growing old together, opening doors for you for the rest of your days. “I don’t know, mayfly. Something about them…” He clears his throat. “It reminded me of us. Maybe. The woman…she had a pretty ring on her finger. And I…” It was like swallowing a rock. He couldn’t get it out. What if you didn’t want to? What if this scared you away? “I was just thinking of…us…”

And with a small inhale, you sit up. “Are you…? You’re talking about getting married!”

Just like that, the rock is gone, and a gust of wind blows out of his mouth. “We don’t have to if you don’t want. I-I haven’t even thought about it – I mean I have – but – I don’t…don’t know much about it besides what I’ve seen. Do you want to? How would we even do it? I mean, with a priest, obviously, but – you don’t have to. I get it. I – “

You silence him with a kiss. It’s slow, meant to feed reassurance to his speeding heart. Only once he hums and kisses back do you break it. You press your forehead to his and sigh out, “Vash, I would love to.”

The breath leaves his lungs in one big wave. Serenity. You have that effect on him. He grows shy, but his shaky smile gains confidence. “Yeah?”

You nod, and an excited little giggle escapes. “Yeah.”

And suddenly, he sits up and wraps you in the tightest hug he can. You let out a breathless laugh, catching onto his coat and pulling him closer. Glowing stripes appear on his neck, and you pull back to hold his face. It is alight with his Plant lines. He is beautiful, and so, so happy.

Nudging his nose with yours, he asks again, “Really?”

You laugh and kiss him and kiss him and kiss him.

/~*~\

Later, when the fire has nearly died out and you both have settled back into near-sleep, Vash perks up and says, “I gotta propose to you. Like, really propose.”

You shift and let out a long, deep breath. “You can do that another night, birdie.”

But you feel his irregular heartbeat pick up. He’s overthinking again. “I’ll have to plan it. It has to be a surprise.”

You snort and nuzzle into his neck. “Just don’t do it during a shoot-out, alright? Or publicly. I hate public proposals.”

“Well, there go my plans.” He laughs when you smack his chest.

You shift to press further into his side and settle down. “Don’t even think of it, Vash. Just go to sleep.”

He hums, runs his hand across your back and whispers, "Hey? Do you want silver or gold for the ring?"

"Mmm..."

A minute passes, and you finally fall asleep. Vash picks up your hand again, tracing your ring finger. He decides gold will look best. He’ll have to go without doughnuts for a while, maybe even some bullets, but he should be able to squirrel enough money away to get a ruby for it, too. He brings your hand to his lips and kisses it. Smiles when you mutter in your sleep.

What a way to end the day.

[spooblet]

When (S/o) Take Their Jacket (Pt. 1)

NOTE:

I have a bit of writer's block here and there, so I'll post what I have written while I try to brainstorm the others for Pt. 2 <3

Vash The Stampede: 

After waking up from his slumber, Vash slowly rose from the bed and yawned while stretching his arm. He sat there for a while and realized how (Y/n) wasn’t lying beside him. He wasn’t alarmed, or in a panic as they do this now and then: gathering supplies for their rounds of travel. Vash got up and walked towards the bathroom for a quick shower. Upon walking back to the bedroom to change into his clothing and attach his prosthetic arm. He noticed his signature red jacket wasn’t neatly folded on the desk he had left it last night. He looked over the chair, under the bed, the closet, and even opened the window to look down to find his jacket. 

Not a sight at all. 

He was about to panic until he remembered (Y/n).

‘Maybe they know where it is…’  He thought to himself as he put on his long-sleeved shirt and glove. The moment he tied up his lace, he got up to grab the doorknob only to have it swung open and cause him to jump in surprise. (Y/n) walked in, bringing in numerous bags as they waddled their way in.

“No, I don’t need help, I already brought everything.” (Y/n) announced as they lifted one arm with a little huff due to the extra weight. 

Regardless, Vash took some bags off from their other arm to help take some weight off them. No matter how many times they assured him that they didn’t need any help, he refused to accept that. He wants to be there for them as much as they have been there for him. As (Y/n) started to take out food from the bag, Vash then remembered what he was going to ask.

“Oh Hey, by the way. Have you seen…my…” 

At that moment, Vash spotted what he was looking for. His red jacket was nicely worn by his partner as they looked up at him, to see what he was going to ask. Then by the looks of his slightly blushed reaction, it clicked on them,

“Oh!  Sorry…I just threw in whatever that was near me.” 

As (Y/n) tried to take Vash’s jacket off he pulled the jacket back on their shoulder and smiled sweetly at them. 

“There’s no need to apologize, (Y/n). You can wear it, you know. Besides, you look adorable.” He smiled fondly while (Y/n) became a blushing mess at his sudden comment. 

His jacket was just a couple of inches off the ground when (Y/n) wore them compared to when Vash wore it. 

“You doofus.” They bluntly responded, trying to avoid Vash’s gaze when he gave them a sweet compliment. It didn’t help them at all when Vash looked at the back of their head fondly before planting a gentle kiss against their cheek.

Knives Millions

The majority of the time (Y/n) was there, Knives hardly removed his cloak when he was near them. It was either wrapped around his hips, hooded up, or hooded down, but never off. Not once did they question him or request it off. How do you have the courage to go to a powerful entity and ask such a thing? (Y/n) refuses to overstep the boundary Knives put in and remain silent by the topic. They were just glad to be by his side…and being alive overall. 

As if it was an opportunity that was giving to (Y/n), his cloak was hanging by a chair. He was no where on sight. This was a given chance to feel the material of his cloak. (Y/n) looked around to make sure they were in the clear before grabbing it. It felt weird to the touch. It felt soft and rubbery? (Im just spitballing here…) It was tempting to put it around them and sure enough, that’s what (Y/n) did. The cloak was wrapped around their body, snugged in as it draped their body. It was rather long to the point where it dragged on the floor; though (Y/n) wasn’t paying too much attention. It was going to be a quick felt…Or so they thought. 

Knives entered the room. 

The sound of his footstep snapped (Y/n)’s attention to the point where they quickly made eye contact with Knives. His eyes slowly opened wide in shocked by the sight of a human, his human, having his coat wrapped around them. 

“...Explain yourself.” He commanded, though his tone was soft toned rather than his usual demenor. 

“...I was just curious–Sorry, I’ll take it off.” 

(Y/n) took the cloak off them before handing it back to its owner. Knives grabbed it and kept his eye contact locked on them. 

“Leave. I need some time alone.” 

(Y/n) nodded and leaves the room. They were in a panic state but didn’t want to show it. (Y/n) kept thinking how they might have ruin Knives’s trust or ruin their relationship in general by touching his stuff. Though little did they know that it was far from the truth. Knives was left alone from the room holding onto the cloak…blushing slightly from the view he had just witnessed. The sight of his partner wearing his cloak was such refreshing. He let out a sigh then decided that one day he’ll make one for his beloved when he gets the chance. For now, he stayed in the room to recover. Knives didn’t want to leave until he was no longer blushing.

[to-eat-laugh-love-in-peace]

You know what drives me absolutely insane about Tristamp, something that is specifically emphasized in ep 8, it’s the existence of different accounts about someone or something surviving even in the wake of the most devastating of disasters, this being the Big Fall, as seen with Brad having brought back to Ship 3 the black box, and Rem’s belongings, which include a few photos of her, Vash, and Nai, and A JOURNAL, something I desperately wish that we get to see the contents of in S2, maybe in a flashback by Luida and/or Brad, or maybe in present day by Meryl, like I wonder if she wrote in code or in a different language to make it a little harder to decipher if anyone else got their hands on it, if the accounts in her journal start before she joined the SEEDS Projects and boarded Ship 5, like when her boyfriend Alex was still alive, or if they start after she boarded Ship 5 to chronicle her journey alongside what remains of humanity across the stars in search of a new planet to inhabit, or maybe if they even started when she discovered Tesla and Conrad and the rest of his group of Plant specialists began to tear her body apart in the name of science not long after that, since she was one of, or maybe the only one in Tristamp, the few who protested against the group’s treatment of Tesla only for her to be ignored, so it could have been a way for her to express and process her thoughts, feelings, and experiences throughout the whole ordeal.

(I STILL like to think that this recording pad she used to film Vash and Nai's first birthday somehow survived the Big Fall even if it wasn't shown along with the rest of her belongings that Brad recovered from Ship 5, if only because there's quite a bit of emphasis put into it with the framing of the scene and all, though who knows maybe it was just a way for Studio Orange to make a smooth and believable transition between a flashback and present day but I still have hope.) And then there’s Vash who’s also shown writing on a journal of his own, another thing that I also desperately wish to see the contents of in S2, in his room prior to Luida coming in to give him his red coat. With Luida going off to bring Vash back to Ship 3, leaving Brad to do some much needed self-reflection on the choices he’s made and the actions he’s taken, I wonder if, since he was looking through his things in hopes of finding some sort of clue he left behind about the other Independent, he actually took a look at it, and on the off chance that Vash hadn’t written his accounts in code or in another language, maybe he would have been able to read Vash’s own thoughts, feelings, and experiences throughout his time on Ship 3, the Big Fall, his time with Rem and Nai on Ship 5, maybe even his discovery of Tesla, and everything that had gone down with Rem right after that.

Back on the topic Ship 5’s black box Brad had recovered from the ruins, and repaired 5 years after the Big Fall, I noticed that when he and Luida were listening to the audio recording, HE MUTES THE RECORDING RIGHT AFTER NAI SAYS THAT VASH WAS HIS ACCOMPLICE SINCE HE WAS THE ONE WHO GAVE HIM THE ACCESS CODES. With how people have pointed out how Studio Orange likes to play with unreliable narrators like Vash omitting the fact that he was the one who gave Nai the access code which made Nai’s claim that he was his accomplice in the Big Fall in episode 1 more plausible for example, this has to imply that there was more to be said in that audio recording and if Brad hadn’t muted it to fixate on the fact that Vash lied to them about the other Independent being alive and come to the conclusion that he had been lying to them this entire time, that he was never on the side of humanity to begin with, then things might have gone as badly as they did, maybe Vash wouldn’t have ran away from Ship 3 to find Nai on his own, maybe he wouldn’t have had to lose his arm to keep him and the everyone else in the scene from being swallowed by his gate. @tristampparty

[galactiquest]

Hi it's 🌻anon it's been awhile!

I've mostly been working a lot and just wanting to crawl in bed to just rest for the next thousand years or so.

Which made me think of a request: Vash and/or Knives s/o that just wants to rest in cuddle all day with them.

Hope you have a wonderful day 🌻

Hi Sunflower Anon 🌻 Always here to brighten my day. I totally feel you with wanting to rest for the next thousand years, working on several projects all at once will do that to you.

I think this request is really adorable and since I feel like it, I'm gonna do both. I think they'd approach this differently and it's fun to explore how!

Vash the Stampede and Millions Knives x Reader: Whole Day Off

Content Warnings: None, we're just enjoying a super cozy day in bed. For the most part.

Vash

I bet he wishes he could take the whole day off. A day with no fighting, no running, no bullets, nothing but gentleness and peace and quiet. This is never quite his reality, but now that you're in his life...

It'd be rude of him not to indulge you, at least once. Once you brought the idea up, perhaps half-asleep in the morning, he couldn't say no to your cute face.

He'll spread out a bit with you nestled into his arm, smiling at the gentle sunlight now spreading across the bed. It's nice to slow down when it's possible. And in these moments, there's nothing to worry about--just Vash quietly breathing next to you, sometimes the two of you adjusting to a new position, he spoons you, you spoon him, toppled over each other like wayward building blocks, whatever works.

Eventually he will get up, much to your reluctance, but he promises quietly that he'll come back. And he does--probably with something to eat and drink. Can't spend the whole day in bed without a snack!

Knives

This man is a workaholic. Does he even sleep? I'm not entirely convinced that he does. If you can, somehow, get him to sleep with you (literally, I mean) I think he'd be leaving soon after you fell asleep to keep doing work.

I don't think there's any way he'd accept "lying around in bed all day cuddling" as a valid excuse to avoid work. I think he'd call you silly for even suggesting it! But he wouldn't force you to get up and do anything if you didn't want to (he's not that mean... at least I like to think...).

But maybe there's room for... compromise? Is that a word in his vocabulary? Maybe he'll allow you just a few minutes of his company in bed in the morning. As an apology reward for being such a good little human. And a few minutes might turn into a few more. And maybe just a little longer. And maybe he'll wait until the top of the hour, just to be exact--and, whoops, looks like it's a minute past...

If he can't stay with you, truly, maybe he'll come to check on you every so often. If you've fallen back asleep, he'll probably graze the back of his hand against your cheek, admiring how cute you look--he means, just checking to see that you're still alive. And maybe he'll make sure you're still tucked into the blanket. And maybe he'll leave a little kiss on your forehead... Maybe he'll join you when he feels he can sneak away.

[the-babygirl-polls]

Vash Stampede - Trigun, Trigun Maxima, Trigun Stampede

Propagandas:

He's just such a bleeding heart, has sad backstory with sad downsloped eyes and dramatic fashion sense. Loves too much and pays the price for it. Just so loveable, one determines he's babygirl on sight.

he's a blonde twunk with a slut waist and skank legs. and he's suffered more than jesus <3

He’s the most wanted man on the planet and he serves CUNT doing it, especially in the original manga. He’s also a biblically accurate angel-type-thing and an ace gunman who refuses to shoot back at the people who want his bounty :]

He's this super cool legendary gunman who terrifies everyone on the planet because he leaves destruction in his wake BUT it's not his fault because he's literally just chilling and everyone wants him dead for something he didn't do. He doesn't even like shooting people he just wants to maybe get some donuts and take a nice nap but nooo he walks into town and everyone decides "let's bullet hell this guy, cause massive property damage, and say it's his fault!" Also he's horrendously doomed by the narrative and the prettiest boy you ever did see. Look at those big ol blue eyes and tell me he's not babygirl. You'd be lying.

Other Additions:

The 2023 version is more babygirl but his manga version is also very baby and very girl. Would put both images of him together since the design is different.

pleeeeeease include a picture of maximum or 98 Vash and not just stampede Vash. theyre ALL babygirls, not just the stampede redesign. i wanna see his ugly ass broom hair on a poll too

He's simply THE baby girl, you know

Please tag both "Trigun" and "Trigun Stampede" for the fandoms!

[pancake-breakfast]

One thing I'm realizing while writing fanfiction from Vash's POV is how easily he lies.

Which is strange, because at first glance, you wouldn't expect someone so prone to wearing their emotions on their sleeve to be good at lying. But he's had to. Over the years, lying has kept him safe, and it's kept those around him safe. So while it may or may not have become second nature over time, it's definitely something he's been able to practice and perfect to the point he can do it with ease.

Which is very sad, because he shouldn't have to lie so much to stay safe. But it's also very relatable to a great number of people who grew up in environments where we, too, had to learn to lie to keep ourselves, and maybe even those around us, safe.

[silentwhispofhope]

i heard you were taking requests owo

could i request vash x reader during a lazy morning in bed? some snuggling, some hair petting, maybe some smooches? who gets up to get coffee for them both, while the other has to be woken up again to drink the coffee? =w=

A/N: Oh honey, you and I are thinking on the same wavelength. This man got me out of a three year writing block. I will gladly write for you.

Temporary Bliss

You aren’t sure how long you’ve been lying awake, but you sure did adore the sight below you. Some time during the middle of the night, Vash had managed to climb on top of you and cling to you like a kid with their stuff animal. You let out a quiet laugh at the thought, continuing to run your hand through his hair. Vash let out low purrs as you slowly undid the knots in his blond locks. You watched, heart filled, as the dawn’s light gently wafted in.

It was rare to have moments like these: to not being chased after, having enough money to sleep inside, not constantly searching for supplies. It was pure, utter bliss, even if it rarely lasted for long.

Content with the progress you’ve made on your significant other’s head, you moved your hand down Vash’s back. As much as you appreciate the view of him sleeping on your chest, your legs were falling asleep.

“Mayfly?” A tired voice called out.

“Morning, Sunshine,” you cooed.

“Five more minutes,” Vash whined as he hugged you tighter, digging his face into your sleep shirt. You chuckled and gave him a quick peck on his beauty mark. He groaned as you slipped out of bed, the bed feeling suddenly cold without your presence.

“I’ll be right back, okay?” You told him, tucking him back under the sheets.

“Where are you going?” He rubbed his eyes.

“It’s a surprise,” you replied. “Go back to sleep.”

You knew Vash was exhausted and still needed to recover from the events of the last several days. You gave him another kiss on his forehead before shuffling out of the room with your shoes on. Taking one last look back at your lover, you saw him already back asleep. Snores emanated from him. You softly smiled before closing the door. Now, where to find that bakery the receptionist told you about?

[prowl-autism-extraordinaire]

trimax vashwood where vash knows wolfwood is afraid of him, because its hard for him to miss. vash sees the way he only actually relaxes when he thinks vash is asleep, when wolfwood can keep eyes on him and know where he is and that he wont move. when wolfwood gets more stressed than usual vash fakes being exhausted so wolfwood will maybe chill out a little bit. doesnt work because wolfwood can smell pity and sympathy and such 20 iles away.

and this is vashwood, so obviously they cant talk about this At All. so vash tries to be goofier, because humans tend to think clumsiness is harmlessness, but wolfwood knows full fucking well what he is. so vash decides to go with old fashioned exposure therapy. moves just a little too fast when wolfwood is watching. doesnt blink a little too long. just a little too casual about his weirdass 'exercises' (i cant take them seriously. i cant okay). anyway wolfwoods getting twitchier and twitchier, in that hes going real still and staying closer to punisher than usual even in motel rooms and smoking way more.

and one day vash comes up behind him a little too quick when wolfwood wasnt expecting it and after vash stopped whining about his broken nose they managed to (mostly nonverbally) come to the understanding that vash would back the fuck off and wolfwood would chill the fuck out. both parties were lying btw

[srivera4]

*Wolfwood opens the door to see Vash wearing one of his suits laying on the bed.*

Vash: Hello Nicholas~

Wolfwood:

Vash: What do you think of me in one of your suits does it please you my lovely-wait what are you doing?

*Wolfwood closing and locking the door then putting the punisher in front of it turning towards Vash.*

Wolfwood: It most certainly does.

*Five hours with lots of moaning and one vial used later*

Wolfwood lying on the bed completely naked smoking a cigarette: Maybe do that on special occasions angel.

Vash covered in bite marks and wearing the remains of the shredded suit: Okay.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

You know what, I keep mulling this over and I think I'm just going to write it because I keep second guessing myself and I need to share.

SO. Back in my big, long Wolfwood post, I pointed out this scene below and how the pale eyes/use of Vash's name/etc shows actual concern here

The next shot is of Wolfwood's shoes running, and by the time we see these two again, they're at the hospital and have to overhear from the staff what happened to the hitman - which means that Wolfwood did not run after the shooter, he ran to get medical help. That's what I stated before.

But here's the thing: leaving Vash there while he runs to get help is... kind of stupid, because even though Wolfwood shot at the hitman, he's clearly still alive and still gunning for Vash. Wolfwood refers to him in present tense - "He is obviously a hit-man" not "he was".

Immediately after, Keele, who's moved up to the roof, says the following - "I need to get a clean shot in." On it's own, that's not a strange thing to say - he needs to finish this, quickly, before he's discovered. Except... it kind of is an odd thing to say, if Vash is still just lying there. Keele is on the roof, directly above his target - I would expect a clean shot to be fairly easy to take.

You might be thinking, "oh, but maybe there's a crowd around Vash now and he can't get a clean shot with all the people"... but this makes no sense, because Vash is only as injured as he is because Keele clearly doesn't care about collateral and fired on both Vash and the civilian woman in the car. Even if you argue that there's too many people to be "justifiably collateral" in Keele's eyes, he could still easily disperse them by firing more bullets - we don't see anyone who appears to be able to fire a gun here except Wolfwood, and he should be gone to get help at this point.

So, what's with the clean shot thing? He's never seemed to care up until this point, he was just unloading all his bullets at the guy, and a grenade. The only thing I can think of is that he needs to ensure his aim is accurate. It's likely he's firing at a moving target.

Wolfwood's arm is stretched out over Vash in the second panel of the image above. Neither one of them knew what became of Keele until later at the hospital. Vash's entire body is bandaged - he was in no condition to move himself, and we only see one set of shoes in the running panel.

Tldr; "Wolfwood picks up Vash and carries him while booking it for the hospital" is not only a perfectly valid interpretation of this scene, but also, imo, one of the most rational ones. I rest my case.

...Actually I'm probably just losing my mind. Ignore me.

[whirlwindimagines]

‘I close my eyes and all I see is you’

a/n: Not requested well sort of some people asked for a part two of ‘Talk about it somewhere only we know’ is this good? lol no Enjoy~ I need more requests ;p; I wanna write for my babygirl so I can avoid writing for my 1000 follower thank you story lol

Vash x Reader

‘This was bad’ that’s all your unhelpful brain was supplying, well maybe it wasn’t that unhelpful, you knew you needed to move. You couldn’t just keep lying on the desert sand bleeding, it was a good shot, right through the top of your left shoulder a clean shot. You just keep trying to rationalize everything. 

Out of your loveable bunch of misfits, you were all used to the idea of being in danger, it just came with the territory. You were so used to patching everyone else up, making sure they were okay. Being on the other end, it was a little scary… again rationally you’d be fine! 

But you were in pain, a shout of your name forced you to open your eyes, when had you even closed them? Instead of seeing the blue of the sky above you, your eyes meet the blue of those eyes. 

“Vash” you breathe out, you entirely focus on him, his frantic eyes the way his hands hover over your body as if he’s afraid to hurt you even more. Like he ever could. His prosthetic presses into your injured shoulder, he must have found some resolve, you flinch and he looks devastated that he may have even caused you a fraction of discomfort. 

You know you need to be doing something, all that first aid training and you’re freezing up at your own injury? Getting your bearings finally, you sit up “Wait.” Vash says a little frantic, but you dismiss his concerns pushing his hand away to press your own hand to the wound it’s really not that bad. “I’m okay Vash really, this will be a quick fix. Help me up?” 

He does so, his hands shaking as he grasps your elbows to help you to your feet. His hands hover again, nervous and unsure. He still looks a little frantic, but better. You two don’t exchange many words as Vash helps you back to the shitty motel all of you had been staying in before getting separated and the shootout. Vash helps you on the bed sitting you’re at the edge as he grabs a med kit.

Vash removes your bloody hand, the shirt is ruined so you just rip it so he had access to the wound, ignoring the blush that covers his face. He could be so dramatic. Vash begins cleaning the wound but his hands are shaking, “Vash stop.” You say gently placing your hands over his, “I can do it, it's alright” 

“It’s not alright!” Vash says a little loudly, your taken back usually Vash never raises his voice, he has seen the look on your face because he takes a second to breathe, to find his words. “It’s just…I have to do this, I have to take care of you” he says softly, and oh does that make your heart skip a beat. You want to say something, you are going to say something but he continues.

“You take care of all of us, patch us up, make sure we eat everything. And you never ask for anything, please let me do this” Vash holds your gaze softly and you can’t even speak. Holding his gaze you nod, “okay” it’s a stupid thing to say maybe, but no one’s ever said anything like that to you. And it’s caught you completely off guard. So, you let Vash work slowly and carefully he patches your wound until it's perfectly wrapped. 

“Thank you” gripping his wrist gently and not letting him get very far, you weren’t going to let him run away this time. The push and pull of your relationship one step closer two steps back, not this time. “Please stay.” The look he gives you…it’s hard to decipher, but he does sit down next to your hands in his lap. 

You asked him to stay and now you are at a loss for words, that seems to be the issue between the two of you. The unsaid words, the something hanging between the two of you. Grabbing Vash’s human hand and simply holding it in yours. His hand grips yours, “I never know what to say around you” Vash’s voice breaks the silence, is tone soft and sad. It startles you, forcing you to look at him. 

“That’s not true” you start, “I think you don’t give yourself enough credit Vash, you always make me feel better.” You tell him honestly, leaning into him to rest your head on his shoulder. His handshakes in yours, but you don’t let go. It takes a minute but then he rests his cheek on top of your head and you can’t help but smile at the closeness. 

“Can we just stay like this…for a while longer” Vash says and you can’t refuse that request, “yeah I would like that” you whisper back, maybe it’s time to finally be brave. “Vash…I– “ 

“I know. It’s the same for me” Vash interrupts his voice shakes, and he looks away from you blushing and it makes your heart race as you lift your head off his shoulder to look at him. And you laugh, he turns to look at you surprised, “I’m not laughing at you, I promise! It’s just we really are a pair of idiots” Vash smiles and he can’t help, but laugh as well. Leaning back into you and gripping your hand.

You both sat there for a while enjoying each other’s presences and laughing softly, it was nice. You could feel the slight change between you too, and it was nice a Subtle but natural shift. You two probably had more to talk about, but this was nice just leaning against each other and existing. And you wouldn’t mind staying like this for a while, you two could talk more later, right now you would enjoy this moment with Vash.

[tomatoswup]

el chico del apartamento 512⋆ ˚｡⋆୨💌୧⋆ ˚｡⋆

summary: that new boy-next-door Vash from 512 sure is cute! Maybe you should write him a letter~

title translation: the boy from apartment 512

warnings/tags: shy/anxious reader, the usual nerve-wrecking feelings that come with a crush, tesla jumpscare, kabedon! by vash, i edited this at 4am might have mistakes, cute~, Modern!AU

A/N: I....don't know if i wrote this right...but this song had me delusional..... :D,,, I really wanted to write a cute boy-next-door kinda oneshot with Vash and boom, here yall go :P enjoy! I recommend listening to Selena's "El Chico Del Apartamento 512" since this fic was a direct inspir. from the song~

pairing: vash x reader

Life in your apartment complex was, in your own words, quite boring.

Bland scenery, the shouts and complains of neighbors and the ridiculous "problems" that shouldn't even be called problems you had to deal with.

Oh cmon, can't you park in your own fucking parking space?!

But there was a certain someone that made the hell of a place a bit more better. Your new neighbor from apartment 512. You first met him by accident when you dropped the groceries you were hauling up to your apartment one day, to which he helped you and struck up conversation.

From there, fate couldn't help but let the meetings between the both of you continue as the two of you talked more and more. Often times, he'd find you reading at one of the various apartment complex picnic tables, joining you in your times of relaxation.

"You okay?" You asked one day as the both of you sat at the table, sharing a bowl of fruits you had cut up to enjoy the afternoon with. He turned his attention towards you, orange sunglasses resting on his head and mouth full of watermelon causing his cheeks to puff out like a chipmunk "Mfph?"

You had a good ol' laugh as the poor man tried to chew as quick as he could to respond, but truly just ended up almost choking on the poor watermelon. You had to smack him on the back in the end so all the juice left his lungs.

Life, work, and flowers that the both of you liked, sometimes the two of you conversated for hours on end. And sometimes, you two just liked each others quiet company.

You admired that.

But you also admired something else.

ooo girl he was cute.

You couldn't resist the butterflies in the pits of your stomach whenever the two of you took your walks together, coming home from work late nights. The closeness of your shoulders and his made you a bit more delusional than you had wanted to be.

Or maybe you did?

GOD MAKE UP YOUR MIND!

Vash, that was his name, was your boy-next-door crush. To be honest, you never expected to find yourself attracted to someone like him. But man, did he have your heart running its laps.

Every.

Single.

Time.

The glances he would sneak at you from afar felt like honey for your little ol' fragile heart. And no, you never forgot those frequent very frequent times where you would find him knocking at your door. Opening it, there he was, the cute tall spiky haired blonde awkwardly standing there with a flower pot, little flowers already growing inside.

Shifting his weight from his feet left to right, he would use the excuse of "I bought a bit too much for my balcony!" to keep giving them to you.

It was adorable! You never failed to blush every time and whenever he accidentally touched your hand when he handed them to you. You didn't notice his own red cheeks though.

You had a small collection of these plants in your home now that you made sure to water every morning. And as a thankful gesture, you often invited him over for dinner at your place.

That was....flirting right?

Jesus fucking christ you really had no rizz..

You often found yourself lying in bed some nights, not knowing how to address those bubbly feelings of yours towards the dorky man.

How would you tell him either way? How about a date?

Oh no no no, you didn't have the balls to tell it to his face... Did you?

You contemplated for a second.

Nope, definitely not.

If he said no, you would have to think about finding a different apartment at this point.

oh my goddd this was embarrassing..

But cmon now that cute mole on his face? How could you resist those funny faces of his? You groaned loudly into the air as you slapped your hands on your eyes in exasperation.

'What if I write him a letter?' You froze in your mini moment of despair before shooting up from your laid down position. "Okay, okay, maybe this can work." You gasped out, stumbling and slipping off your bed, looking around the room trying to find a pen and paper.

Pen..Pen..Digging out a pen from your bag, you held it up into the air as if it were a holy grail.

Settling with a nice purple colored one and a page from a notebook that you carefully tore out, you wrote your "confession" letter on that messy wooden desk of yours.

That'll do that job! please

By the next morning, you had the letter sealed and ready to be given to him, but damn were you on the verge of wanting to throw up because of how nervous you were.

You even added a cute dried flower on the letter to make it look pretty maybe he could ignore the little tear marks of yours on the note

Okay, go to his door, knock, give him the letter, then run.

PERFECT! Completely foul proof plan!

Wash, rinse, repeat.

You put on one of the more nicer outfits from your closet, and paced around your room a bit before finally leaving the apartment. Letter clenched in your hands, you walked only a few steps from your door until you saw the numbers 512 glaring down at you.

Ummm…

You felt sweatier than usual as you frantically brushed down your hair before straightening your posture. It took you only 2 minutes of self-reassurance before you knocked.

knock, knock, knock

Pulling your hand back, you stood there holding the letter into your chest.

...

...

No response. That's fine! That's totally okay!

You took a moment to breathe in and out before knocking again. Finally hearing movement from the other side of the door, you took a step back, bracing yourself from seeing his face as the door swung open.

"How can I help you?" A feminine voice rung out.

Opening the door was a blonde girl somewhat a bit older than you. Her long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes making you do a double take as your mouth gaped open at the pretty girl. But that surprise was taken over by your heart dropping at the sight. She was wearing a white sweat jacket

His jacket..

HE HAD A GIRLFRIEND!?

'ABORT! ABORT MISSION!' Your subconscious yelled at you as you stumbled to find words to reply to the girl "I-um, well uh-"

The burning feeling in your chest started to hurt as you felt the desire to just drop dead right on the spot. There was no way you just... Oh my god..

Before you could respond, the girl's expression widened into somewhat recognition. "Oh! You're the neighbor from next door! Were you looking for my brother?"

Eh?

"...Y-Yes?" You tilted your head in a somewhat cheeky sweaty smile you were dying on the inside before she turned from you and looked back into the apartment.

"HEY VASH!" She yelled, holding the door open with her back as she crossed her arms, and from the depths of the blue-wallpapered apartment nice choice! you heard his voice.

"WHAT!?" There were sounds of blankets or something moving coming from where he was inside.

Her eyes flickered back to you before giving you a playful wink "I think our neighbor from 511 is knocking at the door! Are they the-!"

"WAIT WAIT WAIT DON'T OPEN IT WAIT!!" His sudden screech emitted before the sudden mess of things falling to the ground and objects breaking echoed through the apartment.

Was he okay?

"GYAH!" You heard Vash yelp before he tripped into your sight right around a corner, shirt half messily on him as he attempted to slip his arm through the hole of the shirt. The scattered scars on his body prominent to your eyes as he struggled for a second.

Wow look at that bod-

You quickly averted your sight, feeling the heat crawling up your neck and into your cheeks as he picked himself off the ground as fast as he could with only one hand. You noted that he didn't have the time to put his prosthetic on in that sudden rush of his.

"T-thanks Tesla!" He breathed out, smoothing down his shirt as Tesla left her spot by the door, leaving it ajar as she gave you a small wave before leaving into the apartment and what you presumed back into her bedroom.

"Sorry about my older sister, she's just visiting for the week..." Vash cleared his throat before leaning his arm his only arm at the moment on the door frame, humorously deepening his voice "So, how can I help a beautiful person on this most wonderous night?"

You giggled at his try to hide whatever happened, the tense muscles in your shoulders softening as you silently held out the letter you had.

"Hm?" His eyebrow rose as he relaxed himself, slowly grabbing the red envelope out of your hand. Turning it around, he scanned the writing on the top.

To Vash

And attached to it, was a red geranium, one of the flowers he had gifted you. He couldn't help but give the envelope a blushed smile before looking back up to ask you what it was.

But there was no one?

"E-Eh?" He stuttered as he quickly stepped outside, only seeing a flash of your body running through your door as you shut it quick behind you.

Did... Did you just run back to your apartment?

Vash let out a pout as his shoulders slouched down, barefoot on the concrete floor of the apartment complex corridor.

"I missed the chance to say it.. Damn it.."

Meanwhile, you had shut the door and slowly slid down it, covering your mouth with your hand in amazement.

YOU DID IT!

YOU ACTUALLY DID IT! YES!

OH FUCK YOU DID IT.

ohhhh shit.

"what did I just do.." You groaned, pushing your knees up to bury your face into.

For the next couple of days, you tried your best to avoid Vash as much as you could. Taking all the early shifts at work, racing into your apartment whenever you saw him sitting at the picnic table with a bowl of strawberries.

Maybe he didn't feel the same way, how could you show your face to him? You were scared..What he would say?

Disgusting?

I'm interested in someone else?

That night was one that had you up late, running through all the things he could say about your letter, bad or good.

But one day. you had been forced to take the late night shift again and found yourself walking down one of the many apartment complex hallways alone. You actually kinda missed your lil nightly talks with him…

"Hey!"

Hm?

Turning your head to the left, you spotted the pretty blonde man, racing down the path in slippers, sweatpants and a long sleeve, no glasses of his in sight.

"V-VASH!?" You squawked out, the man closing in as in a panic, you closed your eyes. Feeling your back hit the hard wall behind you, you were only able to throw a hand out to put a cushion to whatever was happening.

What?

Slowly peeping your eyes open, your vision was covered by the sight of his chest. His large frame practically covering your body and both arms of his caging the sides of your head, most likely to prevent you from meekly escaping.

"I finally.." He let out a deep breath as the hot sensation of it lightly hit your face "..caught you." His gaze only focused on you as you noticed the grip you had on his firm shoulder. Ah... He was trying to talk to you again..

Did the letter not make anything awkward?

"Vash?" Your breath hitched, the intense stare of his eyes just on you making that stomach of yours develop butterflies once again.

"You never gave me the chance to give you an answer.." He muttered before chuckling "Didn't think it'd take me this long to finally see you."

Moving your gaze away and to the side, you tried to escape his eyes in attempt to calm yourself down "I thought I made things awkward...Ha." You gave him a small pained grin, the urge to cry out of humiliation was making the lump in your throat push upwards.

One more word out of you and you'll accidentally let it out, tears and all.

Vash looked down at you with a curious expression before the look of adoration riddled his face "Aw cmon now, look at me. You'll never make things awkward between the both of us..." Hand off the wall, he softly put two fingers under your chin, moving it so you looked back into those endless bright blue eyes of his.

"Ya know, you actually beat me to it first."

"I-I did?"

He gave you a cheeky smile "Definitely, I was gonna come over but.." The corners of his mouth moved downwards "I didn't get to see you anymore. Even after work, I made sure to wait a bit to spot ya. Guess today's my lucky day."

oh fuck, you felt so bad.

he…was actually looking for you.

shit.

"I-" You choked out, silencing Vash as you felt your eyes start to blur with the tears. You couldn't hold it in anymore. All those embarrassing moments and thoughts.

"I was scared about what you were gonna say... I thought you weren't going to like me anymore after that letter…” You tried to regulate your breathing as your furiously wiped the tears out of your eyes “Stupid right?”

Using both hands, Vash slowly took your hands away from your face, before swiping his thumb against the apples of your cheeks "Well, whatever you thought that was gonna do, did quite the opposite.."

Face to face, just centimeters away from each other.

"I like you even more.." His thumb brushing the bottom of your lips as you observed him, eyes still red from crying. But the red of Vash’s own cheeks got brighter and brighter.

"May I?"

And with no words spoken, you nodded and he caved, leaning in. You felt like melting as he wrapped his arms around your sides, those pink lips of his deeping into your own as the taste of mint seeped into your mouth.

The sweet taste of his was one you imagined at night, and have never thought to ever taste until now.

Now that you tasted him, it felt so intoxicating. Every touch of his tongue in your mouth, the grip he had on your waist.

Okay slow it down a little cowboy~

Pulling away for air, the both of you just stared at each-other, eyes wide and quiet.

Until laughter came about, Vash had started giggling and you tried your best to stifle your own until you couldn’t. And the two of you continued laughing as Vash kept you close in his embrace.

"I was wonderingg~" Vash whistled out after getting those cute giggles out of his system "Are you doing anything this Saturday?"

You tilted your head to the right, giving him a shy smile "Not necessarily, I was just gonna order some pizza and stay home alone.."

"Maybee..I can keep you company?" He jokingly puppy-eyed before you gave him peck on the lips just one more time

"Always~"

A sharp gasp was suddenly emitted from your right side, causing you to almost yelp in shock at the sudden disturbance as Vash whipped his head to the direction. And there stood your upstairs neighbor, an elderly hispanic lady and her husband with a little cart full of folded laundry.

"Mire! El chico del apartmento 512 se junto con el rentero de 511. Ay que bonito~" She cooed as her husband nodded in agreement.

You returned a blushed smile, feeling Vash's hand slip into your own.

Oh how sweet!

translation: Look! The boy from apartment 512 got together with the renter from 511. How pretty~

[your-punk-mom]

Vash needs therapy Pt. 1

(FYI: My view on therapy is that everyone can benefit from professional support, at least at times. But some people *need it urgently, right now, and maybe long term*. It’s a tool, don’t judge.)

So here’s my personal rule: DON’T DIAGNOSE PEOPLE OVER THE INTERNET. It’s unethical, and even if I were qualified (I am not) it would still be wrong.

But Vash is fictional, so that’s ok. :)

I said previously that psychological character analysis tries to explain how a character’s actions flow naturally from their past, relationships, and assumptions.

Today, we’re going to mostly look at actions. And Vash’s actions say he’s got a Savior Complex.

Savior Complex (SC) isn’t a diagnosis of mental illness. It’s not even in any version of the DSM. It’s more like a state of mind, stemming from toxic beliefs and reflected in toxic behaviors. Anybody can develop this mindset, with or without an accompanying mental illness.

Thanks to not being a “disorder”, SC is not a big subject for serious academics, but practicing therapists write about it a lot, so my citations are a little bit informal.

My favorite version of a definition of SC is from Grouport:

The savior complex is a psychological construct that describes a person's need or compulsion to save others, often neglecting their own needs in the process. It's a behavior pattern often rooted in empathy, but when left unchecked, it can lead to unhealthy dynamics in relationships and personal distress.

Individuals with a savior complex often believe that their worth is tied to their ability to help others. This belief can stem from societal expectations that value selflessness and altruism, sometimes to the point of self-sacrifice.

Doing good deeds is not a bad thing by itself; it even has health benefits for both helper and helped. But taken to extremes, it becomes a problem. People with SC often damage themselves and others in the name of saving someone, even the target of their help.

WebMD has a pretty thorough list of behaviors and beliefs that can indicate a SC. Let's match some of what we observe in Vash's actions and words to these indicators.

Does helping or saving others:

✅Put you in danger physically if you try to save someone in a dangerous situation

Agreeing to duel the Officer Chuck Lee in Jeneora Rock; jumping back inside the worm to rescue the reporters; getting in the middle of Wolfwood and Livio's firefight; walking right into Knives' trap; taking a bullet for literally anyone.

✅Affect your mental state, especially if you aren’t able to save the other person

After Rosa kicks him out of Jeneora Rock, Vash tells Meryl he is smiling because "I don't deserve to cry"; refusing to talk after Jeneora Rock; refusing to eat for two days after Jeneora Rock, refusing to eat for weeks after the Big Fall (especially significant since he only eats for the joy of it); stating that that he “failed” to protect Rem, and so he *has* to save LITERALLY EVERYONE; after the Big Fall, lying about Nai's survival to Luida and Brad.

✅Cause you to neglect your own physical needs, which could lead to illness

Refusing to eat for two days after Jeneora Rock; refusing to eat for weeks after the Big Fall; Letting that one officer in JuLai shoot him over Jeneora Rock, when Vash easily could have dodged; letting the JuLai military police beat him up until he was bleeding, in Jeneora Rock.

❌Lead you to get burned out

Not Vash, but only because he's not human.

✅Affect your personal relationships

In Rosa's first appearance, she says Vash rescued the town before, and that any friend of his is welcome in her diner. But after the Nebraskas, EG the Mine, and Knives wreck the town and Knives steals the Plant, Jeneora Rock has no power or water, and they have an enormous quantity of injured and dead people. Rosa blames Vash and kicks him out.

Wolfwood and Vash continually fight because Vash wants Wolfwood to adopt nonviolence, while Wolfwood finds that totally impractical. This creates conflict when Wolfwood kills the giant worm, then again when he shoots Rollo as a mercy, and again when Livio turns up on the steamer. Vash wants Wolfwood to change, even against his own will.

And then there's Knives. //sigh//

Effin Knives... Let's just put a quote here from VeryWellMind:

They also can have problems in their relationships with family and friends, and frequently find themselves being taken advantage of by others. People close to a person with a savior complex just assume that person will take care of them, without any regard to their needs. It can lead to a toxic, one-sided relationship, where your boundaries and feelings are not respected.

🤷‍♀️Negatively affect the person or people you’re trying to help

This is less clear-cut, because lots of people blame Vash for events that others are acually responsible for (chiefly Knives). We could argue that his previous failures lead to people not trusting his intentions, and acting against his saving them... Or we could just talk about Rollo. Vash essentially failed Rollo twice, when he didn't return in time to prevent him being made a child sacrifice, and again 20 years later when Wolfwood shot him as a mercy killing. Vash was angry, but Wolfwood pointed out forcing Rollo to continue living in pain and misery was cruel, and Vash was not able to cure the monstrous changes done to Rollo. Wolfwood feels the killing was actually compassionate, but Vash insists he could have found a solution without killing.

If we call that one a half-point, giving us a 4.5 out of 6 behaviors. Again, SC is not an illness, this is not at all diagnostic, but it's enough to suggest talking to a therapist would be helpful.

There's other self-assesment lists and articles out there, and some lump Hero Complex into the same broad definition as Savior. I had accidentally confused SC with Martyr Complex in an earlier post. The difference really seems be that both people with a Hero or Martyr complex need acclaim or praise for the good deeds they do, but Vash doesn't care about rewards or recognition at all. Rosa said he fixed the plant before for free, and other than food or drink, we never see him ask for payment or even trade in exchange for helping anyone in Trigun Stampede.

---

Please tell me what you think of Part 1. Part 2 will cover the psychology of Vash regarding how his past relates to his beliefs, and if we have time, we can try to get into what that does to his relationships.